Luisa "Lois" Franzetti

Luisa “Lois” Ferraris Franzetti passed away on December 2, 2025 at the age of 97. Lois was born in Paterson, NJ, on August 27, 1928, the only child of Carlo Ferraris and Anna Guggiari Ferraris. Lois spent her childhood on a farm in Califon, NJ, attending school in a one-room schoolhouse. From there the family moved to Somerset, NJ and then South Bound Brook, NJ. She graduated from Bound Brook High School in 1945. Lois attended Drake Business School and became a secretary at Calco Chemical Company in Bound Brook, where she worked until the birth of her first child.

Lois met her husband-to-be, Abramo Franzetti, in January of 1950, when he was living with and working for his aunt and uncle who owned the Bound Brook Inn. Abramo was in the United States on a student visa. He was from Brebbia, Italy, a small, ancient town in the lake region of northern Italy. They fell in love and Abramo tried in vain to extend his student visa. A year to the date that they met, Abramo, his visa expired, had to return to Italy.

Lois and Abramo corresponded and got engaged through letters. There were no phones in Brebbia. Unable to get another visa, Lois and Abramo decided to get married so that he could come back into the country as the husband of a U.S. citizen. Since Lois did not want to fly across the Atlantic on a propeller plane, the couple planned to meet in Haiti, where Abramo had a family friend. They were married in Haiti by a judge on August 8, 1953 - two and half years after Abramo had returned to Italy. With marriage certificate in hand, Lois wrote to Senator Frelinghuysen who was able to get the approval for Abramo to come to the United States. Abramo returned to the U.S. right before Thanksgiving. Lois and Abramo were married in Our Lady of Mount Virgin in Middlesex, NJ on December 27, 1953. They would be married for 61 years.

Lois and Abramo lived with her parents in Middlesex until they bought their first home in Bound Brook in 1962. Lois would live in that home until her death. Lois devoted her life to her family. She was known as a wonderful cook and kept a meticulous house. She passed down her love of cooking to her children and grandchildren.

After Abramo retired, he and Lois renovated his childhood home in Brebbia and spent many summers there. Luisa’s children and grandchildren remember fondly summer vacations spent at their home and on trips together around Italy.

Lois was predeceased by her husband Abramo, who passed away in 2014 at the age of 88. Lois is survived by her loving son, Carl Franzetti of Bound Brook and devoted daughter Eda Franzetti Tato, son-in-law Joseph Tato, of Chatham, NJ and Vero Beach, FL, granddaughter Margaret Tato McCartan and her husband Will McCartan, Jr. and granddaughter Emily Tato Demarco and her husband Brad Demarco and great granddaughters Lily McCartan and Annie McCartan.

Gathering with the family will be 4:00 - 7:00 PM, Sunday, December 7, 2025, at Hagan-Chamberlain Funeral Home.  A Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 10:00 AM, Monday, December 8, 2025, at St. Joseph Church, Bound Brook.  Burial at Bound Brook Cemetery will follow.    In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Lois’s name to St. Joseph Catholic Church.